WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback today commended Kansas' education leaders for the state's plan to raise reading achievement and announced that Kansas was awarded a $6.4 million grant for Reading First, a program aimed at improving reading skills for children in kindergarten through third grade.

"Especially in these times of economic shortfalls in Kansas where budgets are tight, this grant will give added emphasis to early reading education, starting each of our children out on the right path. I am proud of the superior education offered to children in Kansas and I am confident that our educators will put this money to good use," Senator Roberts said. "With this grant, Kansas is continuing the legacy of quality innovation and achievement in education. Since its creation, Kansas students and teachers have benefitted from this program. Kansas has always been a leader in education, and I am thrilled that with the addition of these funds, the state will be able to build on this success," Senator Brownback said. Reading First was passed into law by a bipartisan majority of Congress under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and centers on the following priorities:

·raising the caliber and quality of classroom instruction; ·basing instruction on scientifically proven methods; ·providing professional training for educators in reading instruction; and ·supplying substantial resources to support the unprecedented initiative.

The Kansas Department of Education will integrate Reading First with its statewide infrastructure for improvement of early literacy. The grant will be used to help schools implement research-based reading programs for students in kindergarten through third grade and to provide professional development to ensure that all teachers have the skill they need to teach these programs effectively.

"Reading First is a model for what No Child Left Behind is all about," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. "Kansans should be proud of what they have put together."

The grant will be funded for six years with funds totaling over $40 million.